1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a liquid crystal display device, a light source holder, a light source housing member, and a backlight. More specifically, the present invention relates to a liquid crystal display device, a light source holder, a light source housing member, and a backlight, preferably used in a TV, a monitor for personal computers and the like.
2. Description of the Related Art
A liquid crystal display device is a display device with low electrical power consumption and can be lightened and thinned. Therefore, the liquid crystal display device has been widely used in a TV, a monitor for personal computers, and the like. Such a liquid crystal display device is not a self light-emitting type display device, and therefore generally includes a backlight as a light supply source, in addition to a liquid crystal display panel which has a function of shielding light.
A direct-type backlight and an edge-type backlight have been commonly used as the backlight. The both backlights supply planar light for a liquid crystal display panel. The direct-type backlight has a light source just below a light-emitting surface. Therefore, such a direct-type backlight has advantages such as high luminance and high light use efficiency, and it can be increased in size. The edge-type backlight has a light guide plate disposed on a light-emitting surface and light sources arranged on the side of the light guide plate. Therefore, such an edge-type backlight has advantages such as low electrical power consumption, and it can be decreased in thickness.
The lifetime of the liquid crystal display device largely depends on a lifetime of a light source included in such a backlight. The liquid crystal display device generally continues to function as long as the light source emits light well. Therefore, a liquid crystal display device which permits exchange of the light sources has been much needed as a liquid crystal display device which frequently performs display, particularly for a liquid crystal display device for industrial devices which generally performs display continuously, because, in such a display device, light sources have a particularly short lifetime.
With respect to a liquid crystal display device including an edge-type backlight, a technology of integrating a light source with a reflector and removably fitting the reflector with a slide mechanism formed in a holding case is disclosed (for example, refer to Japanese Kokai Publication No. Hei-06-51293). However, in such a liquid crystal display device, defects are generated. For example, the reflector is deformed when inserted into the holding case, and the reflector cannot be inserted and pulled out of the holding case. Further, there is no disclosure about a method of exchanging a light source in a liquid crystal display device including a direct-type backlight. Accordingly, such a liquid crystal display device has room for improvement in order to easily exchange the light source without generation of any defects.
Further, with respect to a liquid crystal display device including a direct-type backlight, a backlight in which lamps (light sources) can be exchanged, the luminance and the light uniformity are high, and the lifetime is long is disclosed (for example, refer to Japanese Kokai Publication No. Hei-11-2813). According to this technology, the lamps are arranged in a plurality of reflectors, one to each reflector. Therefore, the lamps are exchanged one by one. However, it is preferable that all of the light sources are exchanged at one time, from viewpoint of suppressing uneven luminance after the light sources are exchanged. Accordingly, such a liquid crystal display device including a direct type backlight needs to be more improved in order to exchange the lamps with efficiency.